Remembering John Frautschi

Posted March 26, 2017

APT Board Member, 1994 - 2017

He was a man. Take him for all in all. I shall not look upon his like again. - Hamlet

Longtime APT Board member, patron, and dear friend John Frautschi passed away on March 9, 2017.

John served on the Board of APT from 1994 until the time of his death. His many contributions to the theater are impossible to quantify. His philanthropic support over decades bolstered us; his leadership and intellect guided us. As Producing Artistic Director Emeritus David Frank recalls:  

"John was, of course, a great board member and civic leader. But he was blessed with such humility, humor and forthright good sense that one always thought of him, above all, as a treasured colleague: wise, kind, cheerful, perceptive, supportive, extraordinarily generous and a great, great listener. We will miss him sorely."

John was instrumental in the creation of the Touchstone Theatre. Shortly before the campaign was announced publicly in 2008, the American financial markets floundered and APT was faced with pressing on, or postponing, a $5M project. It was John’s leadership that gave the board and staff the confidence to move forward. Thanks to John, the beautiful Touchstone Theatre has added a new dimension to the work of APT. We will be forever grateful.

All of us at APT convey our deepest sympathies to the members of John's family, his colleagues at Webcrafters and his many friends.

 - Carrie Van Hallgren

Eulogy for John Frautschi
By Brenda DeVita

When I picture John, I see him in a sort of celluloid hue... a black and white film. The best of our past …when things felt simple and clear, reliable and true. I used to be immediately comforted by the walls of the hallway leading to his office. Him sitting behind his big wooden desk, in his rubber boots where he would eagerly open a picture book and share stories of his beloved family. So proud of his parents. So happy to tell you of his heritage...the picnics and breakfasts…I would often wish I had been character in his stories. 

And as our board at APT grew too large for the table at his office…no one suggested we move to a larger place…we just squeezed together and made room. Because it felt like home there.

It felt safe. At those meetings, I would always hope the chair next to John was open, so I could sit next to him and hear his witty, quiet remarks. Waiting for him to interject his thoughts – his direct and intelligent questions about our plans...making sure we were remembering the important things –remembering always where we came from. His gentle pull to keep us grounded, always.

He inspired confidence just by being on your side. His deep understanding of who he was and what he thought was right was simple for John. He made you think it was simple for you.

No fanfare, no drama, no fuss.

John was a good man.

He was a mensch. A swell.

They don’t make ‘em like that anymore.

They broke the mold…

All of those seemingly cliché comments . . . they were real when they came to John.

He was authentically and supremely good.

He would never let us say these things about him when he was alive…he would mumble or grumble and say something to the effect – “now, you're embarrassing yourself."

But I believe he is hearing it now.                         

Thank you, John, we were honored to know you, we were better because of you. Sadly, there will be a little more room at that table now… a space too large to be filled…

You will be missed. 

Love,
Brenda